1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a raintight junction box used for electrical connections.
Junction boxes for use outdoors, such as for photovoltaic solar panel installations, must be made raintight to prevent water from contacting electrical terminations inside. This is conventionally accomplished by a deformable seal such as a precut elastomer, closed cell foam, rubber O-rings, etc. As these are discrete items of manufacture and require assembly, they add to the cost of manufacture and installation. Furthermore, they are subject to misalignment, damage and deterioration. A junction box, which would be impervious to rain water, humidity and condensation without regard to installation orientation, and yet be without a discrete seal would not only be less expensive but also easier to assemble and more reliable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,484 discloses a junction box similar in configuration to the present invention yet utilizes an elastomer seal such as an O-Ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,757 discloses a circuit protector similar in configuration to the present invention but requires a circular elastomeric gasket.